International Marketing Strategies of Amazon, Sony, McDonald's, and Apple

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International Marketing and Trade
Anytime one picks up an item in a supermarket, the item was assembled in Mexico or manufactured in China. Things like coffee pods would most likely have their origin in Africa. Even walking in the streets, people in cities worldwide encounter brands that are not originally local. McDonalds, for instance, is an American fast-food organization. Nevertheless, a quick drive within towns like Nairobi, Paris, Beijing, Cape Town, Berlin, and Mexico City will reveal several outlets that hold this brand. This is true across other global conglomerates like Amazon, Sony, and Apple, and it highlights the power and extent of international trade. The global reach of these organizations, and the diversification of their workforce, would not be possible without international trade.
As it is known, international trade has been in vogue for centuries, with different civilizations across the history of humanity has carried on trade with other parts of the world. This need for trading was primarily motivated by resource availability and comparative advantage variations. Today, in the 4th industrial revolution, technology and innovation across all fields have opened borders and fueled globalization to the extent that no country is self-sufficient or capable of remaining in isolation. This explains the presence of international organizations like Amazon, Sony, McDonald's, and Apple, and their products, in different countries worldwide.
The growth in international trade has happened in tandem with marketing. As these organizations made headways into newer markets, their success depended on how well they could convince local consumers to trust their brands or products. In this aspect, these organizations were compelled to strategize marketing activities in a manner that was different compared to local activities. In other words, with international trade came international marketing. Therefore, international marketing cannot be underestimated and has received significant attention from scholars, researchers, managers, and leaders looking to find success in global markets or formulate theories and philosophies through which international organizational ventures can be realized effectively. However, fewer comprehensive bodies of knowledge have consolidated these international marketing activities.
For this reason, the current paper seeks to assess the international marketing strategies of the four mentioned organizations. Apple, McDonald's, and Amazon are American organizations with a strong global presence. At the same time, Sony is not an American entity but also enjoys similar popularity and fame among electronics consumers across the globe. Thus, the paper will investigate whether these organizations have utilized similar strategies or whether their international success demonstrates different potential success strategies. The current document will examine existing case study literature to elicit these similarities or differences in global strategies these organizations utilize. Such information helps develop a body of knowledge that upcoming multinational corporates can utilize.
The paper follows a strict structure, first highlighting historical developments in international trade and the societal products that have made global marketing possible. The literature review section brings together different case-study peer-reviewed journals in which different strategies are discussed and compared. The literature review section will then produce implications (or themes) that will shape discussions and recommendations in subsequent sections of the paper.
History of International Trade
International trade is the economic transactions among countries. Items commonly traded include capital, consumer goods, and raw materials. Underlying transactions include travel and payment services. The former facilitates the movement of goods and services from one business hub to another, while the latter focuses on the exchange of funds and capital like stock and bonds (UNCTAD). The underlying basis for international trade is to provide a country with goods and services unavailable or would otherwise be more costly if produced locally.
The history of barter trade can point us to where work began. However, international trade, which is strictly conducted between nations, emerged with the rise of the modern nation-state or clear demarcation of regional and international boundaries. Thus, one of the earliest attempts to describe the function of international trade was through the materialist view of mercantilism (Conti). The mercantilist stance on global trade attained its peak in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, marked by an outpouring of pamphlets and literature on trade-related economic issues. While different political economists held different views within this body of knowledge, they tended to agree on promoting a favorable balance of trade: one in which the value of exported domestic goods exceeded that of foreign goods.
However, this view of international trade proved problematic as not every country could attain a balance of trade surplus. Further, not every country can export manufactured goods while importing raw materials only; thus, after mercantilism came liberalism with standout economic theorists like Adam Smith pushing for liberty in trade and production across borders (Amadi). Smith called for the removal of trade restrictions, including the excessively high custom duties, and instead pushed for the enactment of trade agreements with foreign powers. A critical triumph for liberal ideas was the Anglo-French trade agreement of 1860, which marked the beginning of today's international trade agreements.
However, with the looming war in the early 19th century, some countries like Germany saw the emergence of protectionism that intended to curtail these liberal ideas. During the Civil War, the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 was described as ultra-protectionist in the US. However, the tenets of protectionism were more flexible than the principles of mercantilism and did not last long. Nevertheless, after World War 1 came the League of Nations, which organized the first World Economic Conference in 1927, where 29 nations were represented (Amadi). The conference resulted in a balanced multilateral trade agreement, a precursor of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (1947). The end of WWII saw an end to the mercantile policy and the increased involvement of government, where trade agreements and multinational organizations became the basis of international trade. In this period, the theory of comparative advantage solved the problem experienced in mercantile policies. A country may export a good from another country that efficiently produces it.
Thus, since World War II, as countries have strived to have global peace, trade agreements have formed the basis of international trade. In this case, international business offers a universal interest or common goals to deter conflicts and enhance symbiotically beneficial international relations. Examples of significant trade agreements today include USMCA, ASEAN, NAFTA, CAFTA-DR, EU, and APEC. Based on such contracts, organizations like McDonald’s, Amazon, Sony, and Apple have established their global dominance in their respective industries.
History of International Marketing
Changes in international trade also implied a need for change in marketing strategies. With globalization came new structurally and characteristically unique markets from the local markets in which these organizations began. Organizations have started to explore the importance of issues like cross-cultural exchanges that are increasingly vital for success not only in international business but relations as well (Amadi). The expansion of international trade also brought about unique barriers to employment, such as tariffs, customs duties, regional political relations, foreign country consumer habits & preferences, and ultimately, cross-cultural communication with an increasing need for diversity, the sustainability of the environment, and local heritage. Thus, with the evolution of international trade came the development of global marketing.
Marketing is the business or action of promoting and selling products and services involving market research and advertisement. At its core, marketing aims to provide information about goods or services to consumers to make consumption decisions from an array of competing choices. Typical successful modern organizations have made marketing an essential element of business operations based on the budget for these activities. Apple, for instance, spent over $500 million on marketing in 2021, while Sony allocated up to $2.5 billion on marketing in 2020 (Luke and Emmett). Central to modern marketing activities is the emergence of technological communication tools, whose growth & development across history has revolutionized how organizations communicate with people.
Nevertheless, the technological advantages of the 21st century were not at the disposal of organizations in the mercantile, liberal, and protectionist eras of international trade. The mercantile era's door-to-door, product- and production-based marketing strategies were replaced by developments in print media that allowed increased circulation of information. Key developments like the invention of the fax machine and landline telephones coincided with significant changes in international trade, especially in the 19th century, allowing improved cross-country communication. These were further enhanced by improved travel options, including sea and air transport developments that allowed easy distribution of products and services across international borders.
In the latter half of the 19th century into the 20th century, the emergence of computation enhanced the production process and strengthened communication, leading to what is now known as ‘global village’ (Kalogiannidis, Melfou and Papaevangelou). With computers came new international marketing and sales operations alternatives. For instance, organizations like Amazon and Apple have taken advantage of these technologies and have emerged as leaders in e-commerce. Today, such organizations can deploy marketing strategies remotely through social media and mainstream media, unlike earlier when physical presence was an ultimate necessity.
Introduction to Case Studies: Apple, MacDonald's, Sony, and Amazon
A comparative analysis of existing international marketing care studies focusing on the four organizations is discussed in the current paper. Each organization is unique based on organizational cultures, financial resources, products or services, target markets, and international objectives. Thus, the expectation is that the case studies will reveal both differences and similarities in approaches to global markets.
About Apple Inc.
Apple is an American multinational technology organization specializing in consumer electronics, software, and online services. Founded in 1976 and based in Cupertino, California, Apple is a global brand known for its personal computers, tablet computers, smartphones, and computer peripherals alongside computing software. The Apple brand consists of famous products like iPhones, iPads, Mac computers, and the famous bitten-apple logo. So famous and popular areApple's products across the globe that consumers can line up for hours waiting for the launch of the latest developments. While the United States is apple's single-largest market, over 65% of the organization's sales revenue in 2021 came from the international market. In conjunction with its ever-increasing marketing budget, this figure highlights significant groundwork in global marketing. Business researchers and economic scholars like Shankalia and Ramu (551-559), Lan (128-132), and Luke and Emmett (36-44) provide region-specific case studies on the organizations marketing strategies. Luke and Emmett, for instance, focus on North America, and Lan focuses on China. At the same time, Shankalia and Ramu restrict their scope to whether their approach is similar to that of other organizations. The study is essential in determining whether these organizations copy from each or have innovated noble strategies in their international marketing activities.
About Amazon
The media has described Amazon as"one of the most influential economic and cultural forces globally" (PBS). Such a detailed description would not have surfaced it not for the organization's ability to influence consumption in global households. The organization specializes in e-commerce, digital streaming, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence-based in Washington. Recent developments, such as user recommendations algorithm and web data analytics, are examples of how the organization is revolutionizing the marketing arena and becoming a global leader in influencing consumer behavior and cultures across borders. The organization's success in international marketing has attracted scholars' interest intending to accumulate knowledge, formulate new theories, and challenge existing strategies. Examples include Jamnani (47-51), Izogo & Ozo (31-42), and Sadiq, Sabir, and Saeed (65-70), who articulated different aspects ofAmazon's marketing activities.
About McDonald's
The first food industry is among the significant markers of the 21stcentury's contribution to developments in trade. The first food culture began in the United States and other European countries as a commodity; consumption is its purpose and motive of production. The culture attracts people's interests through its colorful forms of eye-catching decorations, which are instrumental in positioning. Through this attractiveness, organizations include drive-thru restaurants and Chicken McNuggets to college credits from Hamburger. Today, the organization has over 36,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries and its marketing strategy, as observed by Dixit (873), is central to this global expansion. Other scholars like Kolmakova (39) and Singh (10343) have examined country-specific (Turkey) and generalized views respective McDonald's international marketing strategy.
About Sony
Sony is the only organization on this list that is not American-based. However, it rivals other international organizations on the global visibility front. Sony's headquarters are based in Tokyo, Japan, and the organization serves the entire world. It is a mainstay brand within households with visibility enhanced by its electronic products ranging from televisions, music systems, smartphones, and other family and industrial equipment. The organization has also ventured into movie and video games production, which has only strengthened its global presence. Like the other three organizations, Sony's international success was not for its comprehensive marketing activities. Azuayi (1-6) discusses the branding strategies of the organization, while (1-23) analyzes its reinvention through international marketing. On the other hand, Das (1-36) articulates how Sony has utilized the Japanese culture in its international activities.
Literature Review
Therefore, based on the articles mentioned, the current paper, through a literature review, will aim to establish themes that can provide a simplified overview of marketing strategies. The section begins with an overview of existing theories or hypotheses underpinning international marketing strategies. Then the subsequent sections will elicit critical marketing information on each of the organizations.
Contemporary Marketing Theories
In one way or another, and whether deliberate or not, modern organizations have based their marketing strategies on contemporary marketing theories (Leonidou, Katsikeas, and Samiee 18). Often, these theories are utilized in conjunction with each other because, as pointed out by Kalogiannidis, Melfou, and Papaevangelou (3418), no theory can efficiently address all the dimensions in the drastically changing global consumer landscape. Examples of commonly used theories include Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Consistency, Network, Optimal Psychological Experience (OPE), Planned Behavior, and Institutional Theories.
The institutional theory provides a non-economic explanation of organizational behaviors and strategies in respective markets (Mena and Ponomarenko 28). Here, the role of institutions is to regulate economic activities by establishing and enforcing the rules of the game, the basis for exchange, production, and distribution. These institutions regulate the scope of marketing activities in international markets. On the other hand, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs categorizes consumer needs on a hierarchy scale. In this theory, people must first satisfy lower-level basic needs before progressing up the pyramid of needs. Today, organizations use the theory to evaluate customer motivations beyond what can be elicited from raw data (Ghatak and Singh 298). Adding to this body of knowledge is Planned Behavior Theory (PBT). With increasing utilization of analytics and optimization of web data, organizations like Amazon are increasingly capable of predicting consumer behavior (David and Rundle-Thiele). Organizations can consolidate attitudes, perceived behavioral controls, and subjective norms through PBT to understand what drives consumer behavior and what it takes to meet it.
Related to PBT is Optimal Psychological Experience (OPE). While its effect is subtle, the theory relies on symbolic elements, immediate feedback, and concrete goals (Leonidou, Katsikeas, and Samiee). The aim is to achieve a flow in which it is consumers benefit from messages addressing the specific needs of a market (Bonaiuto, Mao, and Roberts). This theory is vital within the international scope because it tailors. This theory borrows or feeds into the market orientation theory. In marketing orientation (Prift and Alimehmeti ), businesses focus on determining and meeting customer needs and wants of consumers more than competitors can do. Thus, it is expected that the organizations in focus have utilized one or more of these theories in their approaches to international markets.
Apple's International Marketing Strategies
Marketing has an array of meanings, among which is defined as a business activity that realizes consumption needs and meets an enterprise's purpose. In this era, organizations that effectively meet these two needs in an environment with stiff competition have moved beyond functional features to more humanized factors (Lan). Lan analyzed Apple to understand better its marketing strategies based on this premise. The study's outcomes emphasized that Apple has maintained its global presence through research and development. According to Lan ((130), marketing strategies deployed by Apple include Hunger Marketing Strategy and Experimental Marketing Strategy. Apple has widely utilized hunger marketing is, pushing iPhone and iPad sales, resulting in lining up. Through experiential marketing, Apple has enhanced its customer experiences, crossing international borders by making consumers feel cared for (Lan) regardless of where they come from. The illusion of prestige involved in having an Apple product forms part of this experiential approach to international marketing. In this study, Lan focused on existing literature to synthesizeApple's key strategies.
In this synthesis, Lan three key steps that Apple takes to its market. The first step focuses on the main Customer Groups and the cultivation of customer loyalty (131). This is followed by the consumer's psychology of seeking new and different. Thirdly, the organization relies on technologies to push what Luke and Emmette describe as narratives or ''fiction (Luke and Emmett 38). In his articulation of the history of Sapiens, Harari (31) explained that narratives, imagination, and myths give Sapiens the unprecedented ability to cooperate flexibly in mass numbers. This explanation summarizes the findings by Luke and Emmett in their critical review of contemporary literature focusing onApple's marketing activities in North America.
Lan and, Luke & Emmett agree on the unique customer experience front. People want to experience apple products and services regardless of who they are or where they are. This explains why Apple sustains its presence across the board across regional political conflicts and trade wars. However, the two sets of authors deviate because the former focuses on utilizing narratives in Mexican, American, and Canadian markets. Key findings in Luke and Emmett's work include the organization's use of consumer information to gain access to effective systems of consumers, the environment of the consumer, and the cognition of consumers. According to...